(MENAFN- Live Mint) Alphabet-backed firm Waymo began operating fully autonomous vehicle operations in Miami on Tuesday, marking a significant step in its ongoing expansion plans.

The company, which provides ride-hailing services, is aiming to tap more cities in the United States as it intensifies efforts to solidify its lead position in self-driving technology.

The company said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it plans to roll out fully autonomous vehicle operations in at least four more US cities - including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando - in the coming weeks ahead of a public launch for riders in 2026.

“Get ready. We're going fully autonomous in Miami-meaning an empty driver's seat, and the Waymo Driver in complete control. Up next: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando,” the post read.

Currently, Waymo is the only operator offering paid robotaxi rides in the US that are fully driverless, meaning they operate without safety drivers or in-vehicle monitors.

Rising investment in self-driving vehicles

Waymo's aggressive expansion highlights the intensifying competition in the market to commercialise fully autonomous vehicles, with leading players focusing on safety, technology refinement and regulatory cooperation to secure market share, Reuters said in a news report.

Rivals such as Tesla and Amazon's Zoox are also heavily investing in autonomous technology.

Also Read | How China's Baidu, WeRide & Pony drive robotaxi race against Tesla and Waymo

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced last month that the electric carmaker aims to introduce its robotaxi service in eight to 10 metro areas of the United States by the end of this year, subject to regulatory approval. Tesla also expects to remove human safety monitors in“large parts of Austin” within the same timeframe, Reuters reported.

Robotaxis face scrutiny

Robotaxi firms continue to face scrutiny following series of incidents, but it did not stop operators from betting that broader deployments and improved safety data might help in streamlining operations and gain public trust.

In October Tesla faced a probe in which 58 incidents were investigated where Tesla cars apparently violated traffic safety laws when their Full Self-Driving mode was running, Mint reported earlier.

Waymo, which was spun out of Google's self-driving project in 2016, boasts a substantial fleet exceeding 1,500 vehicles.

Also Read | Riding in a Chinese robotaxi is pretty smooth-that's a problem for Waymo

“The future of transportation is accelerating, and we are driving it forward with a commitment to quality and safety. Our rigorous process of continuous iteration, validation, and local engagement ensures that we put communities first as we expand. This commitment is how we will continue to bring the safe, reliable, and magical ride-hail experience to more Waymo riders around the globe,” Waymo noted in a blog post.

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